The snowbird crowd is ageing

Our RV Park in Rockport is Full also. There are some construction workers that are working on the new causeway and a few oil workers (5%). Also the park has many summer weekender RV's. We are 55 and our oldest winter texans are 82.

I retired over 6 years ago expecting to be able to head south for the winter (or at least a few months of it).

Our problem; we still had 3 of our parents alive at 90+ years old. The DW immediately informed me that it wasn't going to happen. My mother died in 2010 at 92, and her dad at 97.

Now after 6 years of missed trips her mother is still here in assisted living going on 99 years old. I am now 70 and still waiting.

It's a good thing we used to get down south right after getting married between 1973 and 1984, for at least a month each year in either Palm Beach, or Orlando Florida. That had to stop once the kids got into 3rd grade, and the schools would not allow that much absence from school.

Simple= look at the economy- look at college tuition- look at fuel prices- look at RV prices- look at the job market- look at the minimum wage- look at bankruptcies.........

We've been camping since 73 and have seen a lot of changes.....

BillB800si wrote:
Simple= look at the economy- look at college tuition- look at fuel prices- look at RV prices- look at the job market- look at the minimum wage- look at bankruptcies.........

We've been camping since 73 and have seen a lot of changes.....

Bill nailed it - its the economy..
Change the political climate and you'll see the economy cum roaring back - along with the snowbirds.

MNtundraRet wrote:
Our problem; we still had 3 of our parents alive at 90+ years old. The DW immediately informed me that it wasn't going to happen. My mother died in 2010 at 92, and her dad at 97.

Now after 6 years of missed trips her mother is still here in assisted living going on 99 years old. I am now 70 and still waiting.

Wow! That is pretty incredible longevity in two families! That is a good point though, with people living longer these days, feeling the need to stay close to aging parents would be a more frequent deterrent.

Full-timing actually helped me spend more time with my parents and help them more. I lived halfway across the country before I went full-time and would only see them a couple of times a year. Now I have an RV pad at their place and go spend 2-3 months a year visiting and working on maintenance projects and such.

jw of 4 corners wrote:
We started last year at age 65 but like Mary says a lot of people our age did not plan as well and now have to work longer or may not retire or semi-retire at all. I am lucky that we planned well and am self employed so I can work if I want and when I want. I hope to see more young ones this winter but I don't think that will happen.

In 30 years good union jobs have diminished and defined pensions were done away with and replaced with 401k accounts. Wall street took the fees but paid little returns. Business and Govt downsizing meant that workers didn't have job security with enough cash flow to fund those 401 accounts. Even folks with pensions have seen them taken away by corporate mergers and teabaggers gutting public pensions.

On the other hand, there are some very rich people now that probably wouldn't be caught dead in an RV. The rest of us caught in the middle would travel more but the price of fuel makes it pretty expensive with cash flow.

You're welcome, America!

MNtundraRet wrote:
Now after 6 years of missed trips her mother is still here in assisted living going on 99 years old. I am now 70 and still waiting.

Wow, sorry to hear that. Sometimes you have to be a bit selfish to do what you want.

In his later years my father didn't know if I was gone for a day or 3 months, so I went.

Our snowbirding plans are gone. We're raising our two young grandsons.

I know there are others in the same boat.

Life happens. :E

gbopp wrote:
Our snowbirding plans are gone. We're raising our two young grandsons.

I know there are others in the same boat.

Life happens. :E

Home schooling....best there is! Plus they'll see places other kids only dream or read about...:W..Dennis

Just be happy that society in general is letting old codgers work well past their prime. If it didnt, they would be snow birding all right, albeit in your rv with you.